Ham radio is as expensive as you want to make it. Some hams have gotten on the air for a couple of hundred dollars while others spend thousands on their shacks. It depends on the person who is buying and using the gear.

I know that comment that W2WDX made was a kind of shot at my post, yet he's right. Just remember that it depends on the ham doing the spending!

I admit that I look for bargains as well as the next guy, but I also want my moneys worth. I'd rather spend a little more and get that worth (on a new item) than throw money away on something that doesn't last--or doesn't work at all. There are still some of us that share that view around, even though we seem to be a dying breed.

I don't think that kind of thinking is dying out, if anything I think more people have taken that view since the crash of 2008. Even though you can get into Ham Radio for a few hundred it's a hobby that will easily consume several thousand in a very slow methodical way.I started with a 440S and 4 radios later I am using a Icom 7600 with a Tokyo Hy-power amp.

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“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” (Mark Twain)

It's not much different on the Gun bidding sites, prices are way up and sometimes you happen on a good deal, other times you get junk.

I've found it best to buy used from either a good dealer if the price is right or from a web site such as this one. Especially if you have been around it for a while and get to know many of the people who post. Another Ham who is in a club or close by can be a great source also. Patience is the key sometimesYou can also look at their rating.

I got a mint Yaesu 450AT with two Alpha Delta dipole antennas from a young man needing money for college from one of the sites. Cost me $600.00. To me it was a fair price, the radio works great and I hope I helped the young man out with his education.

I may have been able to get the radio for a little less, but the two antennas and honesty of the person made it a good buy for me. He sent lost of pictures, answered all questions and sent his phone number. I always give my phone number except on e bay, as it gives me a chance to talk one on one with someone. If I'm selling, I can give him every detail and vice-versa.

After weeks and weeks of research I now know that one thing is for certain on eBay.

Never ever go there looking for the following.

FT-857DFT-817ndIC-7000

After following dozens of auctions from start to finish I have found the following:

On any of the above models in good condition you will pay 90% - 200% of the cost of a NIB one from HRO.

On ones missing parts like the separation kit or mounting brackets or being scratched up you will pay 85% - 100% of a NIB unit.

Units that have Blown Finals or don't work on 2M/440 or have other serious defects you will pay %60 - %75 of the price of a NIB unit.

Almost all the units that start out with no reserve end up going for 10-20% more than units with a reserve price.

Funny thing is that about 40% of the units sold reappear again a week later. The idiots buy the thing then the Sherlock's decide to do their research and find out they paid too much and back out of paying the seller.

« Last Edit: September 15, 2013, 01:21:25 PM by KD8MJR »

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“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” (Mark Twain)

All of the above and then some. Ever wonder why people sell things at public auctions? Some people get emotionally caught up in the moment and let their emotions over-ride good sense.

For example: A couple of weeks ago I listed an Anritsu MS-2711D 0-3GHz spectrum analyzer here in eham that was in absolutely perfect cosmetic and working condition. I bought it new so it was not some "estate sale junk". The MS-2711D has options 3 and 21 and the built in tracking generator and can demodulate (receive in addition to displaying) AM, FM-W, FM-N, USB, LSB, and CW. I asked $1995 which is less than 1/3 of what it cost new.

I had several inquires each of whom tried to get me to come down on my price to $1500 or less.

I got aggrevated and listed it on ebay and sold it almost immediately for my "buy it now price" of $3495.

I guess items going for insane prices on ebay all depends on whether you are the "buyer" or the "seller".

Well, I have had different issues on Ebay. After bidding on 3 mint Alinco V-47 H-Ts, I won one of them. The seller wasn't accepting Paypal and hadn't provided bank details. Anyhow, she sent a message saying the battery is burnt up. I still wanted it as I had several fitting battery cases... No deal. Ebay wouldn't help.Similar incidents happened, when sellers wouldn't sell the items. One guy claimed his brother had sold the item bla bla. In a nutshell, when the deal is good, you may never get a seller to honor it!

It's not only eBay. I was looking for used radio equipment on Craigslist and found someone selling an FT-817ND for $550. I e-mailed him and asked if it's used or new and, if used, what's the condition. He responded back saying he had one left which was in "good condition" for $590. I pointed out that his ad indicated $550 and he responded "that was a different one". Why would I pay $590 for a used radio when I could get a brand new one from HRO for $609 after rebate?

Craigslist is another animal. Not long ago. A moron posted a Browning Golden Eagle CB from the 70's as a rare and antique radio from the 1920's and was asking $3,500 for it. Most on Craigslist in my city are either scammers or those who ask exorbitant prices for their trinkets. I have been searching Craigslist daily for ham radio equipment for the last 10 years and I can say that I might have found 3 or 4 deals.

As far a Ebay, I think is a combination of crooked dishonesty as with shill bidding, lying and the morons who will drive up the price of an item a week before the end of the auction. The morons are much worse than the crooks as there are more of them around and getting stupider by the day. Why would you be so stupid and drive up the price by bidding on something you know you have no chance of winning. Once there are too many idiots bidding on it I usually delete it from my watch list. If there are no bids or just a few, I watch the item that has been listed for a small fraction of the value and fight it out the last 5-7 seconds and let the best man win. I will click with just a few seconds to go with my opening bid and my highest bid. If I win it is fine. If I lose it is fine. Whatever the trinket, is not worth getting upset about or getting into a fight with a stranger. I will not bid on item if I cannot bid on it on the last few seconds as there will usually someone there who will outbid you at the end.

I purchase many of the little and unusual items that are difficult to finds or are just much more expensive on Amazon or the local stores.

Some of the items on E-bay are way overpriced. But I have also seen items selling for very reasonable prices. For me most of the best deals have been Buy It Now and sometimes Best Offer. The few times I have bid on an item in an auction say a Signalink USB, four days into the auction with five more days to go and the item would be up to $75 (plus another $15 for shipping).

But doing a new search again under the Buy It Now (search parameter) shows that there is now a new listing for that same item but this one is a Buy It Now for $90 with free shipping. So why should I wait another 5 days when I could buy the item now?

I know can put my high bid ahead of time for the item days in advance, but I might be able to get the same item for less and in faster time through a new Buy It Now listing. If you put in your high bid in advance, you are committing yourself to that item for that price. I could understand if it is a item that rarely comes up on E-Bay but most of the stuff that comes up E-Bay is fairly common.

By the way, that nine day auction translates up to two weeks from first seeing it on E-Bay to having it delivered (that is, if you won the item)... They need to make the auctions much shorter, nine days is way too long, perhaps less than a day, maybe an hour or two. Better yet make the auctions as long as they do at a real auction house, 5 or 10 minutes.

Doubt they have ever sold any. Maybe they come with a free Japanese cutie in the box.

Best thing is when an idiot bids on an item for 6 days thinking that he/she needs to be first through the entire bidding process but has not yet driven the price pass what would consider a fair price on one of the ham sites and BANG!!! out of nowhere you snipe the moron in the last 5 seconds of the auction and snatch it from him.

I sold a telescope on Ebay and was glad to get 3/4 of what I paid. The last 2 minutes a guy sniped and the price went up past $1300.00 which is what I paid originally. I couldn't believe it. I once sold a matching speaker for a 1000 MP which I had an extra one of. Two guys got into a pissing contest and it went for $45.00 more than a new one cost. Unreal.

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